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I recently wrote about some great Playstation games you can play with people in the same room. As a proud Nintendo Switch owner, I’d be remiss if I didn’t do a similar feature here. So, without further ado, here are 5 great games with couch co-op features for the Nintendo Switch!
1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
It’s hard to think of a game with a release date more perfectly timed. Animal Crossing: New Horizons came out on March 2020. This was, of course, around the time that the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading globally, and when the Switch was everything to everyone. At a time where we had to stay inside, this game gave us the experience of building new lives for ourselves on an island paradise. It allowed us to interact with the game’s colourful cast of characters and other players across the world. This was a treasured experience at a time when such interactions were very difficult or impossible.
All this said, the game also allowed players in the same household to share these kind of experiences. If you have enough Joy-Cons, you can have up to 4 players living on the same in game island. To do this, you’ll all need to start a game in single player on the same Switch and copy of the game. You’ll then need to get past the first night on the island. After that, you can ‘call a friend’ to invite one of those other players to hang out.
From there, it’s up to you what you all want to do! Do you want to engage in a friendly fishing contest? You could go for a swim together or get help catching some rare bugs? Or you could simply assemble some musical instruments and make beautiful music together!
Now, it’s fair to warn you that the experience of sharing an island with other players will depend on how well you get on with them in real life. It may even be a good test over whether to actually share a home with someone! Part of the appeal of Animal Crossing is being able to make your island exactly how you want it. You can put in paths and bridges, cut down trees, plant meadows, and terraform to your heart's desire! This can become more complicated when you’re sharing the island with one of more other people. Because of that, it’s important you come to an understanding on how you’re going to use the space. As I said, a great test of friendship!
2. Spiritfarer
Spiritfarer is a beautiful game in so many ways, from the music to the art style. Its story places you in the role of the Spiritfarer. Your task is to help spirits complete their unfinished business so they can pass on to the other side. These spirits take the form of quirky animal characters. They all have distinctive personalities, interests and quests for you to complete.
The character who will pretty much always be by your side is the mischievous and brightly coloured little feline friend, Daffodil. Now, here’s where the co-op multiplayer comes in. Whilst playing as the Spiritfarer, you can have another player play as Daffodil!
While this is not an essential part of the game it does add a lot to it. With two of you, certain challenges become a lot more manageable, and can be a good way of farming resources. But more importantly, playing as Daffodil and leaning into their mischievous side can be loads of fun! I’ve got fond memories of running around causing havoc as Daffodil. All while, my partner playing the Spiritfarer tries to find me, as I dart around the screen and hide in the scenery.
3. Untitled Goose Game
Untitled Goose Game was an unexpected hit in the gaming world. As it turned out lots of players got a real kick out of being a goose and terrorising unsuspecting townsfolk! It definitely had me intrigued. But, it wasn't until the addition of its ‘Untitled Geese Game’ mode that I caught honking fever!
My partner and I had a great time playing through its short but very full and charming campaign. Each area of the town had a to-do list to complete before progressing to the next. We found despite the innate chaos of the game, there was a lot of satisfying puzzling to be had. This puzzle element took on a whole new meaning with co-op play. When completing objectives, we could have one of us cause a distraction while the other goes for the objective. We also passed items between each other when it looked like one of us is about to get caught. It was a great feeling being two geese up against the world!
4. Super Smash Bros: Ultimate
Over the years, the Super Smash Bros series has pitted popular Nintendo characters against each other. This roster has kept on growing over time. There are now some 89 fighters, if you include the ones purchased as downloadable content.
The type of multiplayer Super Smash Bros is best known for is its competitive modes. It's the game you play to beat the stuffing out of each other to find who’s the best character or player. But as I’m celebrating couch co-op gaming here, let me tell you all about the game’s co-op features.
Ultimate lets you fight alongside your couch co-op buddies in a few ways. One of these ways is through the standard ‘Smash’ mode. Here you can choose to fight in teams, pitting you and your friends against any enemies you want.
Then, for something that feels more like a co-op campaign, I’d recommend going to ’Classic Mode’. This mode is not obvious to find, but you can find it in the section ‘Games & More’. There you can take on a series of challenges for a character with a second player to help you.
Finally, there’s the ‘Spirits’ section. Here, you can team up to get particular support characters (or spirits) from across various Nintendo games. Sometimes having my partner’s help has been crucial in helping me collect a limited time spirit.
5. Luigi’s Mansion 3
The Luigi’s Mansion series is known for its family friendly spooky mansion adventures. That and giving Mario's often overlooked brother, Luigi, the protagonist's seat. Luigi’s Mansion 3 was the first in the series to include a co-op feature. You’ll need to progress about an hour into the single player story to unlock this feature. When you do, you'll be rewarded with Gooigi, an exact copy of Luigi made entirely of green goo!
From here on, it is possible to take on the entire campaign in co-op mode as Luigi and Gooigi. As you'd expect having two players is a massive help. The puzzling and fighting ghosts does become easier when you're with a good buddy. Gooigi also adds a different element to co-op game play. He has special abilities like squeezing through different surfaces, meaning he can access areas Luigi can't. But, he is also more fragile, meaning that they'll need help from their Luigi to survive! Whilst it is possible to use Gooigi in single player, having a second player makes the experience a lot more fun and rewarding.
And there you have it. 5 co-op games on the Nintendo Switch with great co-op features. Are there any gems I missed out here? Let us know your favourite co-op Switch games on our social media!